The grand “living laboratory” known as Dubai Reefs will stretch across approximately 200 square kilometers in the Persian Gulf, right off the coast of the bustling metropolis.
Dubai Reefs will be home to over a billion corals, 100 million mangrove trees, and a myriad of fish, turtles, and other marine inhabitants. Additionally, it will serve multiple purposes. Numerous floating islands, interconnected with one another, will host wildlife reserves, scientific and educational facilities, tourist attractions, and eco-friendly residential homes.
Many of these structures will be created using 3D printing technology. The project’s creators believe this approach is ideal for their needs—not just for buildings, but also for replicating various shapes and textures that closely resemble coral reefs and natural underwater landscapes.
Dubai Reefs as a Countermeasure to the Climate Crisis
From above, the floating islands will resemble gigantic silver lily pads, beneath which and above which new life will flourish.
The massive reef will primarily undertake the monumental task of reviving the ocean’s ecosystem. Numerous research facilities will operate here, including a scientific institute where researchers will develop new technologies for ocean protection.
According to URB, a company renowned for building eco-friendly cities, Dubai Reefs will be powered entirely by renewable energy.
Baharash Bagherian, the CEO of URB, stated that as an innovative coastal city, Dubai is ideally suited for ocean-related developments. He believes the project will help mitigate the climate crisis, as Dubai is one of the megacities threatened by rising sea levels due to global warming. Ultimately, the city will need to adapt to living with the flooding of coastal areas.
Thus, Dubai Reefs will offer its future guests and residents an innovative form of flood protection: the structures here will rise along with sea levels.
This enormous living laboratory will also provide Dubai with natural protection against coastal erosion and storms. Dubai Reefs will shield the coastline from powerful waves, as reported by the Daily Mail.
Mangrove trees, tidal marshes, and seaweed meadows will absorb and store more carbon per unit area than any terrestrial forests.
Tourism
According to URB, the tourist attractions of the largest artificial reef will promise visitors “immense emotional and therapeutic benefits.”
Travelers and locals will enjoy seafood cultivated in an eco-friendly environment.
Tourists will participate in various wellness activities, such as swimming among corals in underwater capsules. Alternatively, as depicted in the project’s artistic visualizations, they might go fishing or simply stroll through the lush greenery.
The designers of Dubai Reefs plan to establish the largest oyster farm in the region here. This farm is crucial for environmental preservation, improving water quality, and boosting the local economy.
The project’s creators have yet to announce a definitive timeline for its construction, but it is likely to be completed by 2040. The exact cost remains unknown, but experts estimate it will be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
For comparison, the construction of a similar “floating city” in Korea, set to be completed by 2025, is estimated to cost around $200 million.